Staff from Cornwall’s top school initially led the ‘Cornwall – Sea to Stars’ funding bid in partnership with Europlanet, Goonhilly Earth Station, Institution of Marine Science, Technology & Engineering, King Edward Mine, Roseland Observatory, Royal Institute of Naval Architects, Camborne School of Mines & the University of Exeter.
The consortium plans to create an interactive, mobile science outreach unit showcasing the best of Cornwall’s geology and astronomy. It will use both existing and new networks of community groups and trained volunteers to roll out a program of events.
“The ‘Cornwall – Sea to Stars Roadshow’ reflects the unique location, history and economy of our county, ” said Truro High School Head of STEM Mr Jon Dean, who led the Sea to Stars bid. “Cornwall has dark skies, an extraordinarily rich geology, a world-famous tracking satellite station, and a fascinating astronomical and geophysical heritage. Nearly 5 million tourists visit Cornwall each summer, but the county’s resident population includes some groups of extreme deprivation.
“The focus of this bid is to engage with remote and hard-to-reach communities. The roadshow means that we will be able take astronomy and geophysics directly to people all over the county. However, the real strength of our bid has come from the consortium of very diverse organisations that we have been able to bring together, and we are very grateful for the huge amount of work that everyone has put in. I am most looking forward to working with the team to build on the momentum and enthusiasm we’ve developed over the past few months. I think this project is a very exciting opportunity to promote the work of the RAS and engage some very different communities with astronomy and geophysics.”
Marking the world-renowned institution’s 200th anniversary, the Royal Astronomical Society has pledged funds amounting to more than £400,000 to five public engagement projects across the country. The projects, backed by the RAS 200: Sky & Earth programme that celebrates the run up to the Society’s bicentenary in 2020, were announced today at the RAS AGM in London.
The school is a firm believer in educating girls about the many opportunities Astronomy can offer, regularly undertaking special astronomical projects involving school children from across the county. In partnership with the Roseland Observatory, we are the first school in the UK to have a solar observatory.
